It's obvious that citizens aren't rushing to cash in on the "Great Council Pay Raise of 2007" as some proponents projected (that year) while lobbying voters. Pay more and we'll motivate a slew of challengers with expertise to offer, they preached.

That essentially was the lead to a column written in 2007 to lament the dearth of candidates for town council after that part-time body, in the wake of a gutsy move by former Councilor James Munafo, voted itself a jaunty pay increase to $8,000 each plus $1,200 in expenses and $12,000 for the president.

Now, as the town approaches an election that comes around once every decade when all council seats are in contention because of census-based apportionment (one man, one vote), we learn that maybe, just maybe, there "might" be enough candidates to have a primary election in one or two or "maybe" three precincts. Primaries occur only when there are three or more candidates for a precinct seat on the council.

For a town this size with its diverse demographics, from ultra-rich to painstakingly poor, and the contradictory notions these poles have about government, one would imagine that the opportunity citizens have to hit the "refresh" button this year would engender preliminary races in every precinct. Won’t happen.

It is already obvious this far ahead of the July 29 deadline for filing papers with the town clerk that at best it's going to be a mixed bag election generating some excitement in a few precincts, but overall, your usual low-turnout event. Most all candidates running again so far are doing so without opposition. They are that good? Voters are that happy?

If nothing else, this election will corroborate the common knowledge that a raise in pay doesn’t guarantee political competition. Don’t ask for another raise because it just doesn't deliver.

Then again, why would anybody run for office when the electorate itself has an embarrassingly terrible record for showing up at the polls. The Father's Day car show draws more people than the election of officers who represent taxpayers on spending roughly $33 million of their bucks in one year...and growing.

Just for example, the administration recently announced the creation of a full-time position at nearly $39K per year for a cultural/arts coordinator, which has been a part-time job. It also means picking up all the perk$ of a full-time position. The well-off don’t mind subsidizing art at that modest price, but marginal taxpayers who see greater, more practical needs might argue the point. And a good place to do that is on the town council, a body ideally representative of the taxpaying majority.

There is the potential for stimulating races in Precincts 5 and 6 where former councilors with, shall we say, contradictory records, are willing to gamble on a come-back.

This is particularly true of Precinct 5's former Councilor James Crocker who carved out quite a name for himself as the guy who didn’t buy former Town Manager John Klimm's particular brand of baloney and actually did something about it at great political peril to himself.

Klimm's political house of hacks, built over a lifetime of politics as a selectman and state representative, put Crocker in its cross-hairs and shot him right out of office when a young newcomer named James Cote replaced the embattled Crocker.

Of course, there were other reasons for Crocker's demise in that election and it had to do partly with an aggressive nature that sometimes bordered on intellectual arrogance and at least one barroom fracas that is sometimes good for the soul and not so good for the nose.

The current situation finds Crocker, the only challenger so far, wondering if he has an easy, default win because Cote seems to be unable to decide whether he still wants the job. There is no legal or procedural reason for him to rush his decision, but waffling until the end-date of July 29 does not stamp him with the brand of a committed civil servant and decision maker.

From this corner, there is an assumption that Crocker has probably learned to temper his podium persona of pedantic predisposition to one that gently gives other views the possibility of being as viable as his, if not more so.

In that case, Crocker could resurrect Precinct 5 as a major player on the council who does not fear disagreeing with the leadership or his colleagues on any given issue.

Early activity in Precinct 6 gives the possibility of resurrecting another former newsmaking councilor, Joe Pino, and a primary election. Also interested in that race are newcomers to council aspirations Deborah Converse, who has some electoral history as a member of the Housing Authority, and Nefrediezha Barbel, who, at 35, has just earned a maser's degree. Current Precinct 6 Councilor Janet Joakim has reached her 12-year limit as dictated by the town charter.

Pino's inquisitiveness and mulish approach to issues, as his past effort in locating a new senior center at a more central site, worked out for the better for the town. His brand of politics could also reduce membership on the council's rubber-stamp crowd.

The big issue, as usual, is not who runs, but how many voters show up at the polls.